Veterinary instrument.



No. 865,826. PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907.

J. TO'NEY'& J. H. VIOL.

VETERINARY INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

JOSEPH TONEY AND JOHN H. VIOL, OF DEER LODGE, MONTANA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE- EIGHTH TO SELINA VIOL, OF DEER LODGE, MONTANA.

VETERINARY INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907.

Application filed November 20,1906. Serial No. 344,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J OSEPH ToNEY and JOHN H. VioL, citizens of the United States, and residents of Deer Lodge, in the county of Powell andState of Montana, have invented an Improved Veterinary Instrument, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a veterinary dental instrument sometimes designated a balling ring and designed to be placed in the mouth of a horse or similar animal for the purpose of holding his mouth open while filing, extracting or otherwise working on his teeth with a float or other dental instrument.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is aplan of the instrument, and Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof.

Referring to the parts shown in the drawings, 6 indicates a fork the branches of which are set a sufficient space apart to span the upper jaw of the beast laterally and the connecting portion or cross bar of the fork is bowed up slightly so as to be out of the way in operating on the animals teeth, and to rest in proximity to the roof of the mouth when the device is in use. The shank 7 of the fork is threaded to screw into a union or sleeve 8 which connects it to a threaded stem 9 at the top or head of an irregular ring 10 which is shaped to conform to the shape of thelower jaw, so as to inclose or extend around said jaw, and from the lower end of the ring a shank 11 extends and is threaded to screw into the handle 12.

In use, the device is inserted in the mouth of the beast from the front, and by pressing the handle downwardly or toward the breast the form is caused to engage under the upper jaw and the ring passes over the lower jaw and lip, and the device may then be used as a lever to force the jaws apart and open the mouth of the animal, and held to prevent its closure.

The ring embraces the lower jaw and gives full control of the head, which can thus be held and turned as desired, without danger of slipping or release so long as the handle is kept pressed back toward the breast. The dimensions are not essential, but the ring and fork should be wide enough to embrace the jaws and the handle long enough to give the needed leverage. A tool twenty inches long, with a fork between five and six and a ring about five inches wide will be about right for horses and mules.

The adjustment provided by the sleeve 8 allows the space between the fork and ring to be varied, so that the mouth can be opened to greater or lesser extent, and it is to be noticed that the connection formed by the sleeve and the parts 7 and 9 is located at the middle, the space at each side thereof, between the ring and fork, being unobstructed so that the veterinarian has plenty of room to get at the teeth on each side and use his other instruments thereon while the jaws are held open. The parts of the device can be readily unscrewed and separated and packed in a grip or the like for convenient transportation. The handle held by one hand will give practically complete control of the horses head, so that it can be turned, raised, lowered, or otherwise positioned conveniently for any operation on the teeth, head, or mouth, orfor the administration of medicines.

We claim:

1. The improved veterinary, dental instrument comprising a fork for engaging a jaw of the animal, the ring for engaging the opposite jaw, and a device which connects the fork and ring centrally and isalso adapted for adjusting the distance between them, the said parts being practically in the same plane, substantially as described.

2. The improved veterinary instrument comprising the fork having the threaded shank at its middle, the ring having a similar shank in the center of its top portion, also provided with a handle and a screw sleeve connecting the shanks, as shown and described.

JOSEPH TONEY.

JOHN H. VIOL.

Witnesses:

A. W. FORD, JAM S S. KEERL. 

